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Who was the Sapa Inca?
Like the Pharaohs of Egypt, the Inca was the
all-powerful emperor, the leader of the Inca people. Inca means emperor.
Sapa Inca means the only emperor. The Sapa Inca ruled everything and owned
everything. The Inca was not just a ruler. The Inca was believed to be a
direct descendant of the sun god, Inti.
Did he have servants?
Yes, he did. Servants carried the Sapa Inca
everywhere in a golden litter, and waited on him hand and foot. He ate off
gold plates and drank from gold cups. When the Inca left the palace, women
and children, colorfully dressed in specially made outfits, went in front
of the golden litter. They swept the ground, and threw flowers, and played
music. The emperor never went anywhere without his procession.
Was he married?
Every Incan ruler had many wives. The Inca might
have as many as 100 children. He could marry anyone of noble blood, but
usually the emperor married his sister in formal ceremony, as his main
wife. All the Inca's wives had a job in common. It was their job to
collect and guard anything the Inca might drop, including a single hair
from his head. Everything about the Inca was sacred, and everything had to
be guarded to protect the Inca from evil spirits.
Where did he live? The
emperor lived in a palace, with gold and silver walls. He ate off plates
made of gold, and drank from cups made of gold. He wore a gold fringe
around his forehead as the emblem of his office. His throne was just a low
stool, probably made of wood. But since wood was scarce, that made it
valuable. His blanket was made of the finest wool. He slept on the floor
on a mat, just as all people did in the Inca Empire.
What did the Inca wear?
The Inca wore clothes that were made by women called
the "chosen
women". The Inca only wore an outfit once. When his
clothes were removed, they were burned. The chosen women were kept very
busy making clothes for the Inca. The clothes were very fancy.
Only the Inca could wear a headdress with his special
fringe of gold and feathers. His coat was covered with jewels and pieces
of turquoise. He wore heavy gold shoulder pads. He wore heavy gold
bracelets and earrings. His earrings were so heavy that they pulled his
earlobes down until they rested on his shoulder pads. He wore shoes of
leather and fur. He wore a royal shield on his chest engraved with a
picture of the sun god. He wore a royal badge made of hummingbird
feathers, framed with gold. It is amazing he could even breathe weighed
down as he was by the golden symbols of his office.
Could anyone see the Inca?
Whenever the Inca left his palace, his face was covered
with a translucent cloth. It was believed that he was too splendid to be
seen by everyone.
Could anyone become the next
Inca? The answer is no. Only a son
of the current emperor and the main wife could become the next Inca.
Should they have more than one son, the choice was not always the oldest
son. The heir to the throne was given special training to make sure he
could outdo other boys in strength and endurance. But he was not
automatically selected. The son who proved himself most worthy was
selected. Before he died, the Inca selected the son who would replace him.
He had his council to help him, but the Inca made the final
decision.
Return to The
Incredible Incas for Kids
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